Friday’s A-studio: Attack the weak and vulnerable in Finland because they can’t fight back

In many respects the success of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party in the last two parliamentary elections could be seen as a last cry against our ever-growing cultural diversity, which is a reality and will continue to grow in the future. Newly elected PS MP Laura Huhtasaari was one of the guests on Friday’s A-studio together with Green League MP Ozan Yanar, the new face in parliament of our multicultural society.

Just like PS MP Hanna Mäntylä’s anti-immigration views on Thursday’s A-studio, Huhtasaari says some pretty incredible things as well the following day.

One of these was that she considers Sweden to be “dangerous example” that we should in not follow in Finland. The PS MP also claims that the integration of those immigrants that were given a residence permit on humanitarian grounds haven’t succeeded at integrating in any European country.

Her “bad immigration” example is typical of what Islamophobes use by customarily pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia, a close US ally and the most extremist Islamic country in the world, as an example.

Why not show some positive examples? I’m certain there are many of these types of Muslim countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Immigration has been vital to Sweden’s economic growth and prosperity as a nation.

Like many of the arguments used by anti-immigration politicians like Huhtasaari, we’re usually exaggerating figures and scapegoating certain groups.

It doesn’t take too much intelligence to understand there’s something fishy about her claim that so-called humanitarian immigrants haven’t integrated anywhere in Europe. I could name many who have and adapted beyond expectations in becoming new members of our society.

Her argument “haven’t integrated anywhere” has been proven wrong with only a handful of examples.

Moreover, her claim is a common one used by far-right anti-immigration politicians in Europe. The twisted logic she uses is simple: Since you will never adapt to our country you better not come here.

When PS MP Laura Huhtasaari speaks of these immigrants who “haven’t successfully integrated anywhere” in Europe how many of these types of people is she speaking of in Finland? A few thousands, maybe? Like PS MP Hanna Mäntylä, Huhtasaari proves to us again that the main message of the PS concerning migrants is scapegoating.

Huhtasaari’s populist sound bites reveal that apart from being misinformed about migration her views are very selective.

During the A-studio talk show she did tell us indirectly her solution to those immigrants that haven’t “integrated anywhere in Europe:” Go and rot and die in your failed countries. Don’t come to Finland!

Huhtasaari’s and the PS’ message to migrants that are fleeing war and strife next door to our continent should be absolutely clear after Thursday’s and Friday’s A-studio.

They are not only an anti-immigration message against people who are suffering in war-torn countries but of bullying and of cowards, which consider it fine to attack those that are too weak and vulnerable to yet defend themselves properly.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.

Your handful of counterexamples prove nothing as you are arguing against strawman. Laura Huhtasaari isn’t arguing that no immigrant has integrated. What she is arguing is that many immigrant groups have far too low percentage of persons who have integrated properly. Employment and unemployment statistics are a powerful example of this, but there are many other examples of as well.

If I remember correctly she said “ei ole onnistunut missään” in Europe. She only throws that fact but does not back her claim. Another incredible statement she made was that the ghetto in Mälmö was a “no-go zone.”
Is that true?